The First Chimera.

Chapter 11

Xander's POV

****

I watch as the leaders argue again over terms for peace.

The week is coming to an end. Only three more days of these talks and they'll be leaving.

Most are still driving for a law to be made that'll see mates reject each other on sight if they're different spieces.

Only five are calling for it to be illegal to reject their mate under any circumstances, instead calling for a period of a month where the prospective mates wait before marking and mating, for them and their beasts to get to know and understand each other and the before either acception or rejection.

Father is fighting hard but its like he's up against a brick wall.

Why are they so hung up on this?

There are more pressing things we should be arguing about. Like the rouge group attacking our people. The same group that attempted to kidnap me, but ended up torturing Ria. King Oliver is still asking for there the rogues to be rehabilitated into packs.

I glance at Ria, who's been unusually quiet today. Actually she's been quiet since that day she stormed into the meeting.

It is a curiosity to me though, on more than one occassion the leaders have each let their aura's loose upon the room, and even I've been forced to submit to a few of them. Yet she hasn't even flinch once. She didn't even seem uncomfortable when my dad let his alpha aura loose to bring about quiet, and my dad had the whole room baring their throats to him, not to mention the man is her actual Alpha.

Although, now that I think back on it, Ria had been smirking, her gaze holding mischief like she was laughing at an inside joke only she was aware of.

Ria is a mix-breed, no, better to call her a hybrid. Could that be why she's unaffected by Alpha aura's? Is that why they're against the races from producing hybrid children?

She's definitely part wolf, we've seen her wolf, but what else is she?

Erebus purrs at the thought and I freeze at the sound, hoping no one else heard him.

"Her wolf is beautiful, ask her what her wolf's name is," Erebus whines and I groan internally at him. The wolf has been obsessed with finding out the name to the Albino wolf that emerged from Ria. Not to say I disagree with him, Ria's wolf is very pretty, but his obsession is driving me crazy.

"Zane, please just tell me Ria's wolf's name. Erebus is driving me nuts," I groan down the mind-link to my Beta, knowing already that Ria won't tell me. Erebus's ears perk up as he presses forwards to watch our Beta, eager for that small crumb of information.

It's been bad enough that my wolf has pestered me to let him out so he could run and play with the she-wolf when he's spotted her and Kakoa playing. The amount of times he's nearly ripped out of me upon spotting a flash of white racing through the trees, or hearing that pretty howl of hers has been ridiculous.

I've had to explain to him why we can't just go and play a game of hunt the prey with her. It'd be insensitive to push ourselves on her, or her wolf after bullying her over the pass six years. That and the girl is not our mate. Or at least not that I'm aware.

"No. She's Ria's wolf, it's Ria's choice who she shares her wolf's name with," Zane snarls down the mind-link to me, all aggression. He freezes when he realises the disrespect he's just shown his future Alpha.

I don't know what's gotten into him lately, but he's been in a foul mood.

"Once this meeting is finished you'll meet me on the training field," I growl, both me and Erebus annoyed.

He's my best friend and ever since Ria's birthday and the full moon after, something has been going on with him that he won't talk to me about. I thought we were best friends, that we shared all our secrets and burdens. Maybe not all our secrets, but definately all our burdens.

I never realised how much is bothered me that he kept so many secrets until this week. It's annoyed me and Erebus to hell and back again.

"Her wolf's name is Theia. She's a cheeky wolf, loves to play," Erebus perks up and even sighs like a love sick pup, although his curiousity is now heightened. He pushes forwards and actually turns my head to look at Ria. Her hair is loose today, flowing down her back in a riot of curls, and with the sunlight filling the room her hair seems to shimmer, shades of rusts, crimsons, golds, and honey rippling down her back.

Since her birthday, I've been noticing more about her. Mainly noticing how she never smiles, or laughs when I'm in the room, her guard always up and I don't blame her. I destroyed our friendship because of the guilt I carry.

It's pathetic really. All I can do now is hopefully show her I'll no longer be a source of pain for her.

"Thank you, Erebus is curious about her, wants to meet her is all. We'll still meet at the training ground though and you can attempt to beat me senseless, or tell me what's bothering you," Zane's head snaps up to look at me, his eyes flickering between his and his wolf's. He gives me a small nod.

Within seconds his eyes glaze over with another mind-link and he stiffens then glare at his sister. Strange, he's never glared at Ria before.

"I'd like to ask that all second's in command, and heir's remove themselves from the room. I have something I wish to share with the present rulers," dad says and I turn to stare at him in surprise. Mum nods at me, encouraging me to follow along with his request. Zane, Dakota, Sam and my father's and mother's units get up to leave.

However, Ria doesn't. She sits, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Beta Chase taps my shoulder and jerks his head in a gesture of "move it".

Getting up, I follow him out, everyone else, except the current leaders and their mates following our cue.

"What about Ria?" I finally ask, noticing Zane stiffens before he stalks out of the packhouse. The sound of clothes tearing at Kakoa rips right out of him as he runs for the treeline has the attention of everyone else gathered

"Ria needs to be in there. That's all you need to know for now." Beta Chase states, his gaze concerned as he watches his eldest child dissapear into the forest.

"Something's wrong," I mind-link to Sam and Kota, smiling politely to our guests as I move through the crowd heading outside.

"Zane's not letting me connect a link to him. Both he and Kakoa are in a full rage," Kota states, and I glance at him, finding them both following me.

"Best go contain our angry Beta then. It'll cause chaos if he was to let rip on one of our guests," Sam mutters, and while I can feel he'd not see it as a loss if Zane took out a couple of Vampires, none of us want Zane hurt, or killed.

"What's got him into a rage?" I ask, letting Erebus rip out of me, and latch onto the tether that connects me to Zane, Kakoa racing towards the lake located at the centre of our territory.

I take a back seat in Erebus's mind, feeling him sprint after our Beta, concerned for our best friend. The wind rushes through our fur, dirt kicked up from our paws as the greenery of the forest blurrs, dodging tree's, brances, and fallen logs in our dash.

"No idea, the moment he glared at Ria was when I noticed his anger spiked but he's been angry since the second day," Dakota says, his wolf, Solar, a big white beast with striking green eyes on our heel. Sam's wolf, Hail not missing a beat, his rust, brown wolf with brown eyes keeping pace with Solar, both managing to keep up.

Zane's tether stops where I know the lake's edge is. He doesn't move, but the anger that radiates from Zane and his beast fills the bond I share with him. I let it wash through me, trying to understand this sudden outburst of rage.

But that's the thing, it isn't rage. It might appear like it, but it's his desire to protect. That frustration and fear that someone he loves will be in danger. Zane has never handled that emotion well, fear. It's always come out as anger. Feeling it leak through our alpha - beta bond, it's the fear of failing to protect those he loves.

"Keep everyone away, and don't interfer," I tell Sam and Kota, their heavy sighs are all I need to know that they understand.

Erebus pushes ahead, stretching his legs, bolting forwards as we use that alpha speed to catch up.

"He needs us," Erebus whines, his bond with Kakoa just as strong as my bond with Zane.

Erebus shifts me back into my human form as soon as we step out of the treeline at the lake. Zane's back's to me as he faces the water, staring at the sky as though it has all the answers too his questions. His chest heaving from the run here, and from his effort to control his emotions.

"Zane? Kakoa?" I call out and his head snaps in my direction. I brace myself when his roar rips out of him and he charges at me. His fist pulls back and I sink into defensive stance. The first punch lands square on my jaw, but the second I block and push him back a full step.

We don't talk as I let my best friend exhaust himself sparring, a combination of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Hapkido, with a good amount of punches thrown. Using spinning kicks, thrusts and sweeps, attacking each others pressure points. I focus on locking his wrist and joints, or redirecting his force, trying to wear him out.

When Zane can no long throw a punch Erebus rips out of me as Kakoa rips out of him and its on. Both wolves launching themselves at each other, growling, snarling, clawing and biting at each other. Erebus even latches onto Kakoa's scruff and shakes him in an attempt to shake some sense into him.

We both use the forest to our full advantage, and Erebus even manages to throw Kakoa into a tree. It goes on for hours until finally Erebus has Zane's wolf by the throat and snarls with menace down at our friend.

"You ready to stop now?" I ask and I hear Zane's sigh through the mind-link.

"Yes, release. We're done," and Erebus does then trots back to the lake, knowing Kokoa is following.

By the time we're back at the lake, Erebus watches as Kokoa shifts back into Zane and he slumps to the ground. I shift back and sit beside him, both of us breathing heavily, scratches and brusies healing. We're both going to be starving by the time we get back to the packhouse. As night rolls over us we sit in the silence that always follows his outbursts.

"Want to talk about it?" I ask, only for Zane to let out a tired chuckle and nod before laying back on the grass.

"We were kicked out of the meeting so Alpha could tell the current leaders Ria is a hybrid of sorts," That one sentence explains everything and I flop down beside him, staring at the night sky dotted with thousands of stars.

"You're worried it'll mean Ria is in danger," Zane nods at my statement.

"The whole week they've argued that children like Ria should not be born, that mates who are different spieces should reject each other on sight. They'll either see Ria as an example of what hybrid children can be like, or they'll see a threat to elliminate," even here I can sense the half truth, that ever present secret he protects at all coasts.

Still keeping secrets. It hurts but if it's to do with Ria then I can understand why.

"And you're scared," I state. Zane turns to look at me, his eyes pools of emotion that he usually hides behind the mask of being the Royal Beta Heir.

"I'm scared I'm going to loose my little sister. That she'll be taken, or forced out. I'm terrified someone will hurt her like before and I'm not there to protect her again," I sigh, knowing that no matter what I say, now it's known to the current rulers, he'll forever worry that Ria has a target on her back.

"We'll keep her safe," I promise him, noticing his doubt that I mean it.

"You don't like 'mix-breeds' though," he eyes me with suspicion and I can't blame him. Erebus pushes forwards so he can see me and my beast are in agreement.

"I was wrong," we say simply, before climbing to my feet and holding a hand out for him.

"Now, let's get you back to the packhouse. Ria will probably be worried about you," I say, watching as he eyes me before taking my hand. Pulling him up to his feet, he nods and I sling an arm over his shoulders, Erebus settling in the back of mind for the long walk back.